Christian County Sheriff’s Office Citizen’s Academy

The Sheriff’s Citizens Academy is conducted by the Christian County Sheriff’s Office. It is a free course designed to familiarize citizens with various aspects of community law enforcement. The Academy focuses on administrative philosophy, internal policies and guiding principles of law and ethical conduct governing the delivery of police services in our community.

Community policing is a philosophy, not a program or project. We cannot have a government of the people if we do not include the people in everything we do, including law enforcement. The Christian County Sheriff’s Office is committed to reaching out and developing working partnerships with citizens, businesses and community organizations. The Sheriff’s Citizens Academy is a method of educating the public on what Deputies do and why they do it. It also helps to break-down barriers to communication and develops trust between citizens and law enforcement agencies.

The Academy’s team of instructors is made up of actual Deputies and other specialized law enforcement personnel who provide in-depth discussions and demonstrations about their individual areas of expertise. The Academy curriculum retains all of the core elements essential for citizens to gain a better understanding of police operations. As a result of their participation, citizens are able to make more informed judgements about their Sheriff’s Office and its daily operations. The Sheriff’s Office also benefits from the Academy because it allows us to gain a better understanding of the views and concerns of our community. Our goal is to foster lasting relationships with members of our community and to create real partnerships with them that will enable us to work side-by-side on future projects to achieve mutual goals.

Our hope is to be recognized as Missouri’s leading Citizens Academy offering knowledgeable speakers, interesting demonstrations and unique hands-on experiences that are rarely available to the average citizen. During our Academy, students are eligible to participate in two ride-along experiences where they can go ‘on patrol’ with an actual Deputy for a rare ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at real-life law enforcement.

Upon completion, students will be awarded a certification of completion at our graduation banquet. As an Academy graduate we will continue to network with one another well beyond your time in our classroom and we encourage your opinions, input and suggestions about local issues and our service to our citizens.

Class size is limited to 10 students per class and registration is on a first come, first served basis. If you have additional questions you may email jlofton@christiancountysheriff.net at the Christian County Sheriff’s Office.